How Many Ounces Do You Feed A Newborn? | Quick Start Guide

You want a clear number for the bottle or a sense of what a full feed looks like at the breast. The short answer: amounts change fast in the first month, and your baby’s cues lead the way. Here’s a plain, numbers-forward guide that still keeps feeding gentle and stress-free.

How Many Ounces To Feed A Newborn By Day And Week

The first days are all about tiny volumes and frequent feeds. Belly size grows quickly, so the ounces per feed climb while the pace slowly stretches out. Use this table as a quick reference, then let your baby set the rhythm.

Age	Typical Per Feed	Typical Feeds/24h
Day 0–1	0.2–0.3 oz (5–7 mL)	8–12+
Days 2–3	0.75–0.9 oz (22–27 mL)	8–12+
Week 1	1–2 oz (30–60 mL)	8–12
Weeks 2–4	2–3 oz (60–90 mL)	8–12 (often spacing to 2–4 hours)

These ranges fit breast milk and infant formula. Babies fed at the breast may take smaller, more frequent feeds; bottle feeds may look a bit larger. Either way, feed responsively. Watch early hunger signs, offer the breast or bottle, and stop when your baby shows fullness cues.

Day 0–1: Teaspoons, Not Bottles

Right after birth, colostrum comes in small, golden amounts that match a cherry-sized stomach. Expect teaspoons at a time and many sessions. If you pump, you’ll often see drops to a few milliliters per session; that’s normal for day one.

Days 2–3: Small But Frequent

By day three, belly capacity jumps to roughly 22–27 mL per feed. Latch often, or offer paced bottles. Frequent feeding supports milk and keeps diapers moving.

Week 1: One To Two Ounces

Most newborns settle into 1–2 oz per feed with 8–12 feeds in a day. Night feeds still matter. Many babies cluster feed in the evening, then take one longer stretch.

Weeks 2–4: Two To Three Ounces

As the month unfolds, 2–3 oz per feed is common, with spacing drifting toward every 2–4 hours. Some feeds will be bigger, some smaller. Follow the cues, not the clock.

Breastfeeding: Ounces Per Feed Without Measuring

You can’t see ounces at the breast, so go by patterns. Eight to twelve feeds in 24 hours is standard in the newborn stage, and many babies still cluster feed at points in the day. If you’re building a bottle for a breastfed baby, aim for 2–3 oz per feed in the first month, then adjust to your baby’s signs.

For more detail on rhythm and spacing, see the CDC breastfeeding frequency page. It covers common patterns like cluster feeds and the longer stretch some babies take once per day.

Hunger And Fullness Cues

Early Cues To Feed

Look for stirring, hand-to-mouth movements, rooting, and lip smacking. Offer the breast or bottle before crying starts; calm babies feed better.

Fullness Signs To Stop

Hands relax, sucking slows with longer pauses, baby turns away, or drifts off. Pause, burp, and end the feed when you see these signs. That rhythm keeps intake right-sized and limits overfeeding from a fast bottle.

Diapers And Weight Gain

By day five, look for at least six wet diapers and three or more stools per day. Most babies regain birth weight by 10–14 days. If diapers lag or weight stalls, ask your pediatrician for a check and a plan.

Formula: Daily Totals And Per-Feed Amounts

There’s a simple way to size daily formula: about 2.5 oz per pound of body weight per day, with an upper limit near 32 oz in 24 hours. Let your baby guide each bottle, and don’t push to finish. If your baby drains bottles fast and still acts hungry, build the next bottle a touch larger and pace the feed.

See the AAP’s formula guide for the body-weight rule of thumb and bottle-feeding patterns.

Daily Formula Guide By Weight

Baby Weight	Approx. Daily Total	Typical Per Feed*
6 lb (2.7 kg)	15 oz (445 mL)	2–3 oz
7 lb (3.2 kg)	17.5 oz (520 mL)	2–3 oz
8 lb (3.6 kg)	20 oz (590 mL)	2–3 oz
9 lb (4.1 kg)	22.5 oz (665 mL)	2–3 oz
10 lb (4.5 kg)	25 oz (740 mL)	2.5–3.5 oz
11 lb (5.0 kg)	27.5 oz (815 mL)	2.5–3.5 oz
12 lb (5.4 kg)	30 oz (890 mL)	3–4 oz
13 lb (5.9 kg)	≤32 oz (≤945 mL)	3–4 oz

*Per-feed amounts assume 8–10 feeds in 24 hours during the newborn stage. Space extends as your baby grows.

Sample 24-Hour Rhythm

Every baby writes a slightly different script, yet this sample day helps you plan bottles or pumping breaks:

• Morning: Two feeds about 2–3 hours apart.
• Afternoon: Two to three feeds with a short nap.
• Evening: Cluster of two quick feeds before bed.
• Overnight: One longer stretch, then a feed, then sleep.

Paced Bottles And Burps

Paced bottle feeding slows the flow and lets your baby pause, breathe, and read their body. Hold the bottle more horizontal, rest the nipple on the lip, and let your baby draw it in. Offer short breaks, switch sides, and burp midway and at the end. Signs you may be pushing the pace: gulping, milk pooling at the corners of the mouth, coughing, or spit-ups right after a feed.

Safe Prep And Storage Basics

Breast Milk

• Fresh milk at room temp: up to 4 hours.
• Refrigerator: up to 4 days in the back of the fridge.
• Freezer: use within 6 months for best quality.
• Warm gently; never microwave. Swirl to mix; don’t shake hard.

Infant Formula

• Use the scoop that comes with the tin; level each scoop.
• Mix with safe water as directed on the label.
• Use made-up formula within 2 hours at room temp or 24 hours if refrigerated.
• Discard any milk left in the bottle after a feed.

Breast Milk Bottles: How To Size Them

If you pump for a baby who nurses part-time, a handy rule is 1–1.5 oz of milk for each hour since the last feed. So if your caregiver plans a bottle three hours after the last breastfeed, build a 3–4.5 oz bottle and use paced feeding. Many breastfed babies average near 20–28 oz across a day in the first months. Split that across 8–12 feeds and you land in the 2–3 oz range per feed, with a few larger bottles when spacing stretches.

Keep bottles on the smaller side at first. Offer a top-up only if cues still say hungry. This trims waste and protects comfort. If you track pumped ounces, look at a whole day, not one session. Output swings from session to session are normal.

Common Mix-Ups To Avoid

• Don’t water down formula or change scoop sizes.
• No cereal in bottles for young infants.
• Avoid propping bottles; hold your baby for every feed.
• Newborns don’t need water or teas.

When Feeding Amounts Need A Closer Look

Reach out to your baby’s clinician fast if any of these show up: fewer than six wet diapers after day five, dark urine, no stool for more than a day in the first weeks, hard stools, spit-ups that arc across the room, choking with feeds, weak suck, yellow skin getting darker, or sleepy stretches that make your baby miss repeated feeds. Babies born early or small often need a custom plan; your care team can tailor volumes and timing.

Real-Life Tweaks That Keep Feeding Smooth

Build Bottles That Match Appetite

Start small, offer more if needed. If your baby often leaves milk in the bottle, drop the starting volume by a half ounce and see how the next day goes. If the bottle is empty in minutes and cues say “still hungry,” add a half ounce to the next feed.

Protect The Pace

Slow nipples and frequent pauses protect comfort. A semi-upright hold works well. Mid-feed burps save a 2 a.m. outfit change.

Balance Night And Day

Newborns need night feeds. You can still shape the day by keeping lights bright and voices lively during daytime feeds and keeping nights dark and quiet. Over time, many babies link one longer stretch of sleep to the same window each day.

Watch Growth Spurts

At times your baby may ask for extra feeds for a day or two. That short burst helps boost supply at the breast and can raise bottle volumes for a bit. Roll with it; things usually settle quickly.

Plain Numbers To Rely On

In the first 24 hours, feeds are tiny and frequent. By day three they grow to near an ounce; by week one, 1–2 oz is typical. Through weeks two to four, many babies take 2–3 oz per feed, eight to twelve times per day. For formula, the body-weight rule of thumb points you to a safe daily total, capped near 32 oz. Keep reading cues, pace the flow, and size each bottle to the baby in your arms. Small steps add up each day.